Description: This is a slender, silvery fish that is almost always encountered in shoals. It reaches up to 40 cm in size, which can help distinguish from other similar species. There is a single, short, dorsal fin and a deeply forked tail fin. The lower jaw is upturned and the front of the fish has a pointed appearance. The back of the fish is a darker colour - usually a green-blue - with the sides and underbelly a lighter silver.

Habitat: Open coastal water, from the surface down to 200 m.

Distribution: Recorded around all coasts of Britain and Ireland.

Similar Species: Unless looking at fully grown, large adults it can be very difficult to distinguish between this species, Sprattus sprattus and Sardina pilchardus.

Key Identification Features:

• Reaches up to 40 cm.
• Upturned lower jaw.
• Single short dorsal fin.
• Very silvery, shoaling fish.

Distribution Map from NBN: Clupea harengus at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Clupea harengus at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Clupea harengus

WoRMS: Clupea harengus at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Clupea harengus Linnaeus, 1758. AphiaID: 126417.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Chordata; Vertebrata; Gnathostomata; Osteichthyes; Actinopterygii; Actinopteri; Teleostei; Clupeiformes; Clupeidae; Clupea